Used 2018 Lexus RX 350 Consumer Reviews
Nice, comfortable ride with a few minor flaws
AL, 06/25/2018
4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
54 of 61 people found this review helpful
Coming from 2016 Accord V6-EX sedan, which is already a very feature packed vehicle, the first impression on 2018 RX 350 AWD is the much smoother and cushy ride. Accord had a very jerky transmission I had to fight with and an aggressive fuel savings (25-35 MPG on Accord vs 15-20 on RX) from which the gear switching and the ride comfort suffered. RX seems to have a much better sound system - at least it has the mids, comfortable and more adjustable seats - compared to the headrest tilting too much forward, and a large 12 inch entertainment screen (comes with NAV) - though it is not a touch screen and the controls are awkward and sluggish as compared to the touch screen and nearly perfect integration with smartphones as well as fast response time on the Accord. RX has a much larger and versatile storage / hauling capabilities, although the two are not in the same category. Looking further, the RX has a working Sport mode, where on the Accord the sport mode seems to ride two gears down from where it is supposed to be - driving at 4-5k RPM at 40-60mph makes one look like an idiot on the Accord. The Accord seems to have better dash and door materials and they are not as marr prone as on RX where after a week you can definatelly notice dust and smudges in places you touched them with your hands. No wonder my neighbors are washing and cleaning their RX every week. Paint seems much better and thicker on the RX where as on the new Accord models it is skin deep - after two years of driving on the highway, the front is littered with paint deeps and chips from tiny road dirt. One thing however that is not acceptable from Lexus is the requirement to pay to use the remote starter ($80-96/yr, even though it is already installed with push start) and the fact that once the vehicle is remotely started the vehicle shuts off as soon as you enter it - some safety nonsense. Accord also has a remote starter built in and it works at get go from the key fob; you can get into the car and press break+start to continue without the car ever shutting off - again this is the ideal implementation here and shame on Lexus for making us pay for a half baked nickel and dime solution. If you leave the remote inside Accord, the car won't let you lock and will beep at you, while the Lexus does none of that. Another thing to note is how loud the engine is on the RX from outside compared to the other new cars which are barely audible when new. There is also some loud knocking heard from the engine while parked as well as some whining when driving at 70 mph or higher and slightly holding the gas pedal - it generates noise similar to engine being revved up and let go (like it is running out of gas), all the while you are pressing the gas pedal consistently. Read some reviews and some suggested to wait a few thousand miles at which point the noises should disappear. Until then, these are my observations. To be continued.
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Great, comfy, premium SUV
Zoolander090, 10/14/2018
4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
26 of 29 people found this review helpful
We bought this 2018 RX350 in June of 2018 so we've had it for almost 4 months and 3000 miles. My wife is the primary driver but I drive it about twice a week. The reason I give these details is because while shopping for a car for her, we agreed that I also had to like it. We test drove the 2019 RDX with SH-AWD and the 2018 Q5 with Quattro. We opted for the RX because it has a great interior design and quality of built in all areas. This is my second new Lexus and have owned new Acuras, BMW's and Audis. So far, Lexus has been our best ownership experience and together with the interior, we opted for the RX. Audi offers better exterior design but their reliability is poor in my experience and we want to keep this car past its initial warranty where Audi just falls apart. The RDX had the best drivetrain and handling but I couldn't get over the interior and center stack. Our RX comes with the premium sound, premium interior (I forgot the name of the packages) but it does have the wood accents and nicer leather as well as the Navigation package. It's a FWD. We live in sunny California and the AWD system of the RX is a snooze compared to Quattro and/or SH-AWD and only activates upon slipping so not much use for us that justified the premium pay.
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3rd Lexus, 2nd RX F-SPORT...
ACBENOVA, 06/03/2018
F SPORT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
31 of 36 people found this review helpful
My 2015 RX350 F-SPORT was almost done. Lexus was offering to pay for last 3 months and disposition fee if I stayed loyal to the brand. Normally I would've just leased another Lexus but the spindle grill had me on the fence. I looked at 2018 Range Rover Velar and 2018 Audi Q7. The Velar was a stunner but questionable reliability and first year production scared me. I actually looked at the Audi Q5 first but liked the Q7 better. It was a toss up between the RX and Q7 but I would've had to buy the 4 cylinder Q7 just to be close to the RX's lease deal and that's not even counting the the 3 payments plus disposition fee Lexus was giving. In the end I couldn't pass up the Lexus. I leased an F-SPORT because I actually liked the aggressive design. The 2018 RX F-SPORT is better in every way to my previous RX F-SPORT except for seat comfort. I think the new seats are a tad bit too aggressively bolstered. I'm getting used to it however. I also highly recommend getting the Levinson stereo . It's simply divine. I'm happy with my decision. Lexus service is second to none and they make the best vehicles.
WORST LEXUS EVER OWNED!!
KMRice, 03/14/2019
F SPORT 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
40 of 49 people found this review helpful
This is our 4th RX350. I have loved every one until this one. It drives HORRIBLE. The transmission is HORRIBLE. It's as though it can't make up its mind where it wants to go. When you are attempting to accelerate, the transmission has downshifted so low that you can't go at all. The anti collision has come on and attempted to break on the highway when a car was at least 2 or more car lengths in front of me (and turning off the highway) nearly causing an accident. When you attempt to accelerate to get on a highway, it will very often loose traction and spin or skid while accelerating. We have had the vehicle into the dealership multiple times and they had kept it for several days. They said they could see and feel all the things we complained about and that they had communicated with Lexus and that it was just how that model was and there was nothing wrong with it. Also they drove another vehicle on the lot just like ours and it drove just the same. This car is dangerous and I hate to say that if it causes me to be in an accident someday, Lexus will be paying out a nice chunk of change!!!!
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Away from my sports car era
Tyler Toby, 05/22/2018
4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
13 of 15 people found this review helpful
Pretty awesome car, or SUV, depending on your view. So please to move from Audi A5 which I loved to this new beast. Comfort level is extraordinary and a drives very easily. Very happy with this purchase.
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Well rounded vehicle
Denver Commuter, 07/10/2018
4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
16 of 19 people found this review helpful
Extremely quiet and comfortable. Insulates driver from the drama of city driving. Love the aggressive styling. Mileage ratings not accurate. I'm getting 17 to 18 mpg in pure city driving, and 30 to 32 mpg pure highway. Carving canyons is the lowest priority for me, much prefer a luxurious ride and a car that can easily go 200k miles with a line of folks waiting to pay top dollar to buy it from you when you get there.
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Just don’t look at the front grill
David C, 08/21/2018
4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
29 of 36 people found this review helpful
I’ve had this car for almost 6 months now and I am still not used to the front grill. Everything else is great. It really drives fine and the interior is gorgeous. However that ugly front grill, ugh. I actually looked for replacement front grill in the after market. I just avoid look at the front part of my car.
Enjoy the ride daily, commute now bearable
Marius Figueredo, 08/25/2018
4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
15 of 18 people found this review helpful
Powerful and smooth engine, best HP in class and it doesn’t end there. A very pleasing sound and slight feel, soft Roar of the engine as you accelerate, more than makes up for reduced acceleration. Super mileage can’t be beat, I easily get 25-26 mpg city driving on economy + a/c and navigation screen. Love the cockpit, front luxury seats with frills, good looking steering wheel lovely leather wrapped look and nice feel, even the shift sticks a beauty, with front dash slightly angled towards driver are luxurious for Dads daily commute as also luxurious headroom + legroom at the back compared to other competitors for the family outing on weekends. Rear screen entertainment is really not needed as everyone inside is relaxing even bask in comfort. The quiet cabin has to be seen to believe, the difference is awesome. A really wide cargo bay makes up for the least space available compared to others, as is easy to simply dump lots of grocery bags for the entire family on the way home on weekends. And the touchless liftgate is highly thoughtful for this reason. Nothing left to chance every feature including design inside and out are well thought out. Love the hands free bluetooth can hear calls so clearly and never take hands off the wheel, also no text messages on the go unless the vehicle is not in motion, must mention that the infotainment system is a big letdown as is slow and cumbersome, but I must add the screen just can't be beat . Music system that comes is another poor feature as sound is lousy. Even for the price am sure they can do a lot better as everyone is an audiophile. BSM, RCTA and Park assist are great utility features in use for daily driving as also the cruise control and brake hold at the lights are perfect for city driving. Loads of other features as well The exterior has beautiful lines to look at daily even after 6 mths. not just the floating roof. Even the cons are not hard to imagine why.
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Many great features but. . .
Kathy, 12/31/2020
4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
This was my first Lexus and I was excited about purchasing the 2018 RX 350. It had been a leased vehicle at the dealership for a year. I love many things about the car -- it has a nice ride on the interstate, love the design and overall looks. My biggest disappointment is the erratic nature of the transmission as you try to accelerate, especially at lower speeds. I had my car serviced several times for other things (recalls, scheduled maintenance, etc.) and always had them look at why my acceleration was not smooth. Finally, after having them look at it for a third time, the service manager was honest with me and said they had changed the engine/transmission on the 2018 and later models. He explained that the engine was designed to constantly be looking for the best gear/speed/rpm, etc. to get the best gas mileage. I had been given a 2017 RX 350 courtesy car while mine was in the shop and I'll have to say that I felt it was a much smoother ride, smoother acceleration, quieter engine and it even felt heavier. I still enjoy my 2018 but I will certainly be much more careful if I purchase another Lexus. I wasn't prepared for it to be a somewhat disappointing experience after paying what I felt was a premium price.
Lexus RX350 premium package
GFrank, 10/07/2018
4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
The RX350 has a higher horsepower than most SUV's in this category. Better power and smoother on the freeways. Probably too much technology at least for me. It is now 6 months later....still love the car....I actually had the car stop on me in reverse to prevent an accident...car speeding behind me in a parking lot.
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